a selfish love (ours is true)
by One Foot Forward
Summary: oneshot; Daddy Charming (hints of Davey Jones Captain Swan) / Emma doesn't realize it yet but true love runs in the family [Neverland]
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **I _promise_ (for all of you out there who read the author updates and not just the story ones) I am getting back on track with _Struggle _and _ABNW_. I'm in the middle of finals week and am a day away from getting my research paper out so I'm kind of using this little piece as a distraction. School does end though! So if you're reading this in hopes that I'll maybe be getting my butt in gear, fret not, I am!

And if you're here just for good ol' fluff, then welcome! I'm new to the ship but not to the writing and I'm totally planning on running wild with it. If you're any sort of OUAT fan and feel like sending a prompt my way (I'm also on tumblr at onefoot-forward) I'm more than up for the distraction (no seriously, I am _so close_ to being done with hours spent reading journal articles, I appreciate and _need_ the quick easy-outs)!

* * *

"It's okay you know."

Emma started at the voice, so close to her ear that she had to bite down on the urge to turn heel and swat. David was _not_ a fly, or some creepy poisonous plant that seemed to follow steadily after them, and while he might take the move in good humour (you're our _daughter_ Emma, of course you'd be a fighter) she didn't plan to chance it.

So she tucked her scream in her cheek and tilted her head in his direction – they were currently mid-day through what had to be the third longest trek ever (the first two having have been the days prior) and she wasn't about to slow down.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked, eyebrows raised as David moved next to her side.

His face was solemn, but his eyes were light. "It's okay. To be selfish I mean."

She didn't need to follow his gaze ahead, well aware of exactly _who_ he was referring to. Emma scowled slightly but kept her face on his. "I am absolutely certain I have no idea what you're talking about."

Her father's expression broke into a smooth grin. "I am absolutely certain you _do_."

"David."

"Emma." He repeated with the exact same inflection.

"This is _so_ unnecessary, I know that everyone knows now but – "

"No, no, let me say my piece. You and Mary-Margaret get to have these whispered conversations all the time and I just wanted to throw my two cents in."

Emma quirked her eyebrow (which was entirely her _own_ body gesture, thank you very much). "Getting jealous of my quality time with your wife?"

He nudged her with his shoulder, chuckling. "No, I'm jealous of my wife's quality time with our daughter."

_Ah._

She appreciated the fact that, despite David never having have been as close to her pre-curse as Mary-Margaret had, he never attempted to push the parent thing on her. He _could_, she knew, because there wasn't another loved one to reconcile with his image, she had only ever really known him as the one that her friend was in love with and then he had been her dad. But he didn't ask her to call him by that namesake, didn't pout or whine (not that Mary-Margaret did these either, but it was kind of implied that she would, if it'd work). But Emma knew that he _wanted_. They both did. Wanted their little girl back, wanted to be seen as parents rather than friends, and sometimes the expectations were awful and frightening and she was still so angry, but other times it was _nice_ to be cherished.

So she only blushed a little and conceded to his statement. "It's unfair you know, to pull the long lost dad card in this situation."

"I kind of have to, it's my only card." He said, still good-naturedly.

That should have been her first clue.

She smiled and went along, forgetting how the conversation had started. "I know it's hard here, but I promise we'll get back and work on the whole uhm…family thing."

David looked down at her, his _I am a serious parent and this is my serious face _expression back on. "Well that's actually my point. I know you love Henry, Emma, I truly do. And I get that by sidelining everything else that is happening you're trying to focus on him and that's _great_ but love doesn't work like that."

"Pardon?"

He took her slight hostility in easy strides. "You're allowed to be selfish when it comes to love. You're allowed to love more than just Henry."

Before she had a chance to interject (something along the lines of _Henry is all that matters, at least for now_, which was true because he was) David plowed on. "Look, your mother and I were incredibly selfish – we practically started a war because we refused to be kept apart. And you know, I don't regret a single thing about it, because it gave me Snow and it gave me you."

She almost stopped in her tracks, not sure if it was _the nerve_ or the _oh my god he is not saying what I think he's saying_ but it was something and she had to focus on placing one steady foot in front of the other if only to save face.

After a long moment's pause, she settled on "I know you mean well, but Henry _is_ all I can focus on right now."

"Really? That's _all_ you're focusing on?"

Something about the way he said it, full of insinuation and eyes leading forward, had the blush lingering on her cheeks come racing back. She pointedly did _not_ stare ahead.

"Love demands that you be selfish." David continued, still unconcerned with the eerily growing silence that Emma was using to attempt to stifle this entire conversation. "And it isn't always patient."

"Look," she finally said "it's not…I'm not you. I'm not like all these fairy tales, I can't just…"

"Emma." He said, stopping in his tracks and forcing her to choose to continue on or to commit to this _thing _(and that was definitely _not_ a metaphor).

(she stopped)

"You _are_ like us. Not fairy tale characters or royalty - you're_ human_. And in all of my travels I've found that we have an enormous capacity for love."

"You don't even like him." She protested weakly.

David laughed now, breaking out of the True Love façade, and clapped a hand down on her shoulders. "First, the man _did_ save my life. Second," and at this he leaned down and his grin held a little piece of victory "I never did say who I was talking about."

With a small inhale Emma remembered her _two_ self-proclaimed suitors who lingered ahead, only one of whom David had any reason (yet) to dislike.

She didn't have a chance to pick through the assortment emotions that swirled up as she stared at her father in uncomfortable shock, as a rustling and then a body broke through the foliage ahead.

"Oi mates, we're leaving you in the dust. Is everything alright?"

David grinned. "Yup, everything's great." He winked at her and then looked up ahead, where she was _still not looking_. "Emma needs a little bit of help though."

She barely had a moment to process what he'd said before he was walking away and laughing, leaving only her and –

Oh she was going to _kill_ that man.

"Are you injured love?" Another voice, deep and sultry and _worried_, was by her ear, and Emma seriously considered swatting at _this_ one.

She settled for a scowl and pointed a furious finger at him, jabbing him in his chest (didn't the man know that buttons weren't meant to be _buttoned up_?). "You," she hissed "are _never_ allowed to save my father again, you hear me?"


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** okay, so this wasn't _meant_ to be anything other than a oneshot, but people were following it and commenting and I just had to add this on. Oops.

Also, for the next couple of hours I'm on tumblr taking prompts so feel free to come over and revel in the _omg I can't believe next episode is the winter finale_ feels with me.

(thanks to 4UISUNI2 for giving me the idea ––** Oh could we get a confused Hook and laughing Charming fic please? XD** - and to everyone else who agreed that Daddy Charming feels are the best)

* * *

"Mate, we need to talk."

A sigh and a scowl (which held a little bit of fondness, not that he'd ever let him know) and Charming cocked his head to the side to show Hook he was listening. They were at the edge of the clearing, this being the first watch of the night and the task of ensuring his family's safety falling to Charming. Hook just couldn't sleep.

"It's about your daughter…" He started and David kept in the hysterical giggle that threatened to pop.

"Yeah, well _that's_ obvious." He replied.

It was _always_ about Emma.

Hook sighed a little, but Charming decided that the sound was more of an exasperated resignation that any real annoyance on his part, and besides that didn't even matter since the pirate wanted _his_ help anyway and why did David care if Jones found bringing this up difficult?

–– still, it couldn't hurt the ease his discomfort (he was a prince after all, it was just something they _did_); "I'm sorry Hook, what about Emma?"

"Look, I know this whole bloody situation makes you want to punch me, again I might add, but it doesn't hurt to hear me out ––"

Charming was sitting on a fallen log, since there seemed to be an abundance of those in Neverland, and thus found it difficult to execute the well-worn pat-on-the-shoulder-to-show-both-comraderie-and-also-to-get-you-to-stop-your-useless-tirade manoeuvre that as both a farm boy and a prince he liked to fall back on. Instead he just shot Hook his best fatherly glare and once more swallowed back a chuckle –– this whole situation was just a little ridiculous, he hadn't been a parent for twenty-eight years and it was too early to be talking to boys with intentions (even if it was one his beloved daughter _liked_). "Jones, spit it out."

Charming thoroughly enjoyed how quickly he gave in. "Look, Swan told me that…well she was angry so it was more like she _instructed_, but regardless –– she seemed a bit put off about the fact that I gave you the water from the island, and I just had to ask…did I do something wrong?"

"…" Charming stared at the pirate, no the _suitor_ in front of him and for several reason ––

…Firstly, that Hook looked so damned _uncomfortable_, and yet he was still willing to come to _him_ of all people, to try and figure out what went astray, why Emma was so upset with him because David had happened to insinuate something (that was obviously true). Secondly that Emma had said anything to Hook at all because clearly (and here Charming had to let out a silent _hah!_ because he was so one up on Snow) she had felt the need to, spoke _volumes_ and in that case…

–– he could not keep in the laughter this time.

As Charming quietly lost his marbles (hey, there were still people sleeping nearby) the look on Jones' face became darker and darker until he looked about ready to storm off because the whole thing had been a _bloody terrible idea_ (Charming mockingly said this in his head at well because if he had made the utterance out loud than the pirate would never talk to him again).

It took him a _long_ moment to compose himself, but when he did he managed to shoot the Captain an openly _pleased_ smile. "Oh Hook, I'm afraid you might be growing on me."

"Pardon?"

David stood, placing a strong, steady, _fatherly_ hand on Jones' shoulder. "Let me tell you something about the women in my family." He said, pride imbued in his voice. "They are independent and fierce and absolutely will not back down from a challenge. Sometimes that means getting angry instead of flustered."

Hook raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying Emma was angry with me because she was…_embarrassed_?"

Charming laughed again, the sound a loud, resounding snicker that he had to swallow quickly because _sleeping people_ and because Hook was not one to continue being the butt of a joke. He patted Hook's shoulder again, feeling overwhelming pleased with himself. "I am saying that you should probably ask her exactly what you just asked me."

Another eyebrow joined the one already arching across his forehead, but David wasn't fooled by his incredulousness. Hook looked _happy_.

(maybe he was finally learning to pick up on these subtle cues, because Emma was always so slight in how she showed her feelings, just like Hook always masked his with innuendos, and maybe that made a little bit of sense now)

"Oh. Alright then."

"Yeah."

"I'll do that."

Charming smiled again, sitting back down on his log. "Mhmm."

He shuffled nervously, a hand coming up (his only hand) to rub awkwardly at the back of his neck. "Ah…thanks mate."

When Charming only nodded, Jones turned around and walked back over to where he was resting for the evening. Something about how the whole exchange played out made David feel at odds with the glowing _I am an awesome, intuitive father_ vibe he'd been having since his talk with Emma.

"Oh and Hook?" He called out, softly, but enough that the pirate's face raised to meet his. "I'm not your mate."

But he was smiling and then Hook was smiling and the vibe came back. "Aye," he said "understood."


End file.
